This Bonneville streamliner, nicknamed the "Wee Eel" for its little power plant, was owned and driven by Els Lohn. The car presents 1961 era aerodynamics at its elegant best. Campaigned by Lohn, built by Willie Chambers and designed by Steve Swaja (who designed dragsters for Garlits and Tony Nancy -- famously the Wedge), the Wee Eel II turned in some mighty performance with its G and H class BMC engines.

The Wee Eel streamliner, powered in 1961 by a Paxton-blown, 950 cc Morris engine, set the G Streamliner record at 144.116, with a one-way of 172 mph. The blown Morris was built by Demar Ray. The reason the one way 172 didn't yield a higher average was purely Els' fault. When he took off for the return run, the car sounded good, up through first, second, then disaster struck. Els apparently lost concentration, and instead of shifting into high, he found low gear! That little blown banger must have hit 15,000 rpm before blowing its innards all over the salt.

In 1965, with its current 4-cyl English Conventry Climaz 1500 cc (90-c.i.) engine, the car, now named Wee Eel VI, carried Lohn into the salt's 200 MPH Club with a record run of 203.36 mph.

About Els Lohn:

In 1953, Lohn founded a racing parts company, the E.E. Lohn Co., more popularly known as EELCO. He later bought Ansen and was selling banger (i.e., flathead 4-cyl engine) performance equipment. He invented a very interesting item that allowed you to keep a pistol under your car seat for quick access.

EELCO was bought by Filter Dynamics Inc. in the late seventies, along with several other speed equipment manufacturers. Els later bought it backk for pennies of the dollar when FDI failed.

He was inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame in 1985. His induction bio read:
A member of countless committees, an early president of the association and a member of the Board of Directors, Els has no equal when it comes to undivided service to SEMA and the industry it seeks to protect. Els founded Eelco, a racing products company; he currently owns Ansen Enterprises. He has an impressive history of racing and records on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Some facts about and features of, this streamliner include:

Body's nose and tail are of fiberglass; other body panels and inner panels are of aluminum sheet. Small tubing riggers mount body panels.

Front suspension is Volkswagon. Axle is narrowed to give front tread of 38 inches, and its lower torsion bar and tube has been removed. Special hubs were made for the car's Ford rear end, with Halibrand quick-change, has been narrowed to 35-inch tread. Wheelbase of car is 98 inches.

1960 Bonneville Salt Flats Streamliner

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